Railroad track cross-over



March 22, 1960 H. w. HosBElN RAILROAD TRACK CROSS-OVER Filed 001'.. 17, 1956 INVEN TOR.

ATTORNEY United rates Patent O RAnJzoAD TRACK cRoSs-ovER Hugh W. Hosbein, Fort Wayne, Ind., assignor to Symngton-Wayne Corporation, Salisbury, Md., a corporationof Maryland i Application October 17, 1956, Serial No. 616,544

1 Claim. (Cl. 23S-379) rl`his invention relates to cross-over bridges for railroad tracks, and more particularly to a device for bridging the gap required to permit the passage of rail car wheels.

Cross-over bridges are used to carry cross tratiic smoothly over railroad tracks. Devices have been proposed providing movable bars bridging the gap between the rails and roadway which are contacted and moved away by the through passage of rail car wheels. These devices, however, employ solid bar and spring arrangements which are rather complicated which makes them expensive and subject to break-down.

An object of this invention is to provide a device for bridging the gap between a railroad track and the deck of a crossover bridge or roadway which is simple, economical and dependable in operation.

In accordance with this invention, an array of leaf springs is disposed adjacent the surface of the deck or roadway to laterally close this gap. The upper edges of the springs are aligned with the cross-over deck to form a substantially smooth grating. This array of springs rests on a smooth support positioned below the path of passing rail car wheels. This surface supports the springs under the load of cross trac when the springs are extended laterally to close the gap. The array of springs, therefore, provides the dual function of resiliently reacting in a direction to close the gap as well as forming the bridging surface.

This spring array may be used to bridge the gap on the wheel ange side of the track, and a resiliently cushioned bar may be used to bridge the less critical gap on the other side of the track.

Novel features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art from a reading of the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an embodiment of this invention in the condition which it assumes in the absence of a rail car wheel;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken through Fig. l along the lines 2-2 and looking in the direction of the arrows in the condition which it assumes in the presence of a rail car wheel; and

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken through Fig. 1 along the lines 3-3 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, a cross-over bridge for a track includes a section 12 adjacent the side of the track contacted by the anges 14 of rail car wheels 16, and a section 18 is provided on the opposite side of the track. Sections 12 and 1S are, for example, box-like structures made up of end channels 22 positioned perpendicular to the track and side channels 20 parallel to the track. These channels are suitably mitered and welded to form a rigid structure. A deck or roadway surface 24 is mounted on top of these joined channels by welding for example.

An array of leaf springs 26 is positioned adjacent side channel 20 of section 12 with the upper edges 28 ofthe springs forming a continuation of the adjacent surfaces of deck 24. These springs 26 resiliently react in a direction to substantially close the gap between the side o f section 12 and track 10. Springs 26, for example,iare Y made of spring steel joined to each other by spot welding. Each spring element is bent in a snake-like configuration so that the upper edges of the array lie in a diamondlike pattern or grating which forms substantially smooth surface for cross traic. f

A rub rail 30 is joined to the side of the array of springs 26 adjacent track 10 to form a strong wear-'ref sistant surface for contacting the wheels of rail cars. Rub rail 30 is made of substantially rigid steel for examf ple. The ends 32 of rub rail 30 extend past springs 26 and are inclined to form lead angles which cooperate with approaching rail car wheels to deflect the array of springs 26 out of the path of the wheel anges. Fig. 2 shows a rub rail 30 contacting the side of a wheel ange 14 as it passes through the gap between the track and section 12.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, support means 34, steel brackets for example, extend from side channel 20 of section 12 and are positioned under the bottom edges 36 of springs 26 to support the array under the weight of cross-traic. The top surfaces 38 of brackets 34 are substantially at and smooth to facilitate backward and forward travel of the spring array. Rub rail 30 and brackets 34 are cooperatively interlocked to cooperate in restraining the movement of the array in the direction of travel of the wheels while permitting movement of the array at right angles to this direction. This interlocking is provided for example, by a series of notches 40 in the lower side of rub rail 30 through which the ends of brackets 34 extend.

Referring to Fig. 3, projections 42 extend from the inclined ends 32 of rub rail 30 to lie parallel and adjacent to the sides of end channels 22. Projections 42 also restrain the movement of the spring array in the direction of travel of passing rail car wheels. Fig. 3 shows the position of a projection 42 adjacent end channel 22 of section 12 alongside which it travels and sometimes rubs. In Fig. 3 the spring array is shown in its extended position which it assumes in the absence of rail car traic.

Referring to Fig. 2, a strong bar 44, 0f steel for example, bridges the gap between section 18 and the other side of track 10. Bar 44 is supported within a steel angle 46 joined to side channel 20 of section 18 by brackets 48. Bar 44 is mounted within angle 46 upon rubber support cylinders 52 by means of nuts and bolts 50 recessed within counterbored holes 54 in bar 44. In the event that rail cars are tilted in passing through the gap, bar 44 gives way enough to protect damage to the deck 24. Bar 44, however, will not be deflected by the lighter forces encountered from crossing automobile and truck tratiic.

Operation In the absence of rail car trafiic, springs 26 maintain the gap between section 12 and track 10 substantially closed, as shown in Fig. 3, and provide a substantially smooth diamond pattern or grating which permits crossing trafric to proceed without appreciable jars or bumps. When a rail car wheel, however, passes through the gap, as shown in Fig. 2, it rst contacts inclined or leading edge 32 of the rub rail 30 which deects springs 26 out of the way of the flange 14. The top surfaces 38 of supports 34 lie below the path of travel of the anges so that they do not interfere with normal passage of rail car wheels. When the spring array is extended, however, top surfaces 38 provide a strong support to maintain f 3 springs 26 in position under-the weight of cross trac. The motion 'of springs 26 inthe direction of travel of the rail car wheels is restrained by brackets 34 extending through cooperating recesses 40 in rub railY 30 and pro- Y jec'tions 42 which liejadjace'nt the sides ofY section 12.

The Ygap on the other side of the trackjs closed by resiliently mounted bar 44 which deects under the weight of rail car wheels, but easily supports the weight to preclude large gaps between them, a rub rail attached to the side of said array adjacent `said track, saidrub rail having ends directed away from said track, stationary means supporting said array and rub rail disposed below the path of travel of said wheels, said rub rail having means cooperating with said stationary supporting means for restraining the movement of vsaid array in the direction of travel of said wheels While permitting movement of said array at rightY angles to said direction.

v References Cited inthe le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 293,024 Hoffman Feb. 5, 1884 321,132 Newton et al. June 30, 1885 846,599 Nicholson et a1. Mar. 12, 1907 1,329,789 Mallett Feb. 3, 1920 1,548,087 Heller Aug. 4, 1925 2,091,195 Dennebaum 1.. Aug. 24,V 1937 

